ESL ALOUD

Guided Practice in Speaking English

Podcast #122 Who’s to Blame? – Part 2

My wife and I went shopping for groceries. We always go to two stores. One store is Trader Joe’s. They have a good selection of food. And their prices are quite reasonable. The other store is called Von’s They carry some things Trader Joe’s does not. The two stores have one thing in common. They are very cold. That’s why I put on a jacket to grocery shop. Even in the summer.

We went to Trader Joe’s first. I had a little cup of free coffee there. I crumpled the empty cup and put it in my left jacket pocket. Big mistake.

I paid at the register and put my wallet back in my pants pocket. That’s where it belongs.

Next we went to Von’s. Again, I paid at the register. I didn’t replace the wallet in my pants pocket. I stuck it in my right jacket pocket. Second big mistake.

It was hot outside. So I took off my jacket. Then I got into the car.

When we arrived home, I removed the cup from my jacket pocket. I noticed that the pocket was sticky. I rinsed out the pocket. My wife put the jacket in the drier. She did this without telling me.

Later that day I could not find my wallet. I checked everywhere. Including the jacket pockets. I called Von’s to see if I left it there. I retraced my steps from Von’s to the car. I looked in my driveway. No wallet.

What could I do? I made the calls to get new credit cards. Also I ordered various new ID cards. This took about two miserable hours.

The next morning the wallet appeared. It had fallen out of my jacket into the drier.
When my wife emptied the drier she didn’t notice the wallet. The next morning she did another wash. This time she found the wallet.

Whose fault was all this? You might say I was to blame. I was sloppy with the coffee cup. I didn’t replace the wallet in my pants. You might say it was my wife’s fault. She missed the wallet in the drier. I have come to another conclusion. It is Trader Joe’s fault. They shouldn’t have free coffee. And it’s also Von’s fault. They shouldn’t keep the store so cold.

When we arrived home…
…I removed the cup from my jacket pocket.

When we got home…
…I took the cup out of my jacket pocket.

I noticed that the pocket was sticky.
I noticed the pocket was sticky.

I rinsed out the pocket.
I rinsed the pocket out.

My wife put the jacket in the clothes drier.
My wife stuck the jacket in the drier.

She did this without telling me.
She didn’t tell me she did this.

Later that day I could not find my wallet.
Later in the day I couldn’t locate my wallet.

I checked everywhere.
I looked everywhere.

Including the jacket pockets.
The jacket pockets included.

I called Von’s to see if I left it there.
I called up Von’s to see if I forgot it there.

I retraced my steps from Von’s to the car.
I looked in the Von’s parking lot.

I looked in my driveway.
I looked around in my driveway.

No wallet.
No luck.

What could I do?
There was no more I could do.

I made the calls to get new credit cards.
I placed the calls to get new credit cards.

Also I ordered various new ID cards.
Also I ordered a bunch of new ID cards.

This took about two miserable hours.
This took about two depressing hours.

The next morning the wallet appeared.
The wallet showed up the next morning.

It had fallen out of my jacket…
…into the clothes drier.

It had dropped out of my jacket…
…into the drier.

When my wife emptied the drier…
…she didn’t notice the wallet.

When my wife emptied out the drier…
…she missed the wallet.

The next morning she did another wash.
She did a load of wash the next morning.

This time she found the wallet.
She found the wallet this time.

Whose fault was all this?
Who was to blame for all this?

You might say I was to blame.
You might say the blame was mine..

I was sloppy with the coffee cup.
I was careless with the coffee cup.

I didn’t replace the wallet in my pants.
I didn’t put the wallet where it belonged.

You might say it was my wife’s fault.
You might say my wife was at fault.

She missed the wallet in the drier.
She overlooked the wallet in the drier.

I have come to another conclusion.
I have reached my own conclusion.

It is Trader Joe’s fault.
Trader Joe’s is to blame.

They shouldn’t have free coffee.
They shouldn’t offer free coffee.

And it’s also Von’s fault.
And the fault is also Von’s.

They shouldn’t keep the store so cold.
They keep the store way too cold.